Lake Victoria cultural safari offers a unique combination of getting close to the wildlife in Tanzania’s best parks and discovering the local cultures in untouched areas like Lake Eyasi and Lake Victoria. If you like to do things differently and experience a really authentic African safari, this maybe the perfect journey for you.

Day 1: Arrival- Arusha

Day 2: Lake Manyara National Park

After breakfast, you go on a walking tour of farming town Mto wa Mbu. This village is unique in Tanzania since it is home to over 120 different tribes from across Africa and forms a colorful mix of languages and customs. Your walking guide will take you to rice and banana plantations, a local beer factory, a school and a carving factory. Discover the traditional way of life of the villagers. Continue to Lake Manyara National park, which is only a few minute’s drives from Mto wa Mbu. Lake Manyara is known for its huge soda lake filled with pink-hued flamingos, a large population of baboons, incredible birdlife, and breathtaking views. You can see giraffes, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, flamingos, and if you are lucky you spot a tree-climbing lion. In the late afternoon, you drive to Eileen’s Trees Inn for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Lake Eyasi

This day will be full of culture, with interesting encounters with a local tribe. After breakfast, you drive to Lake Eyasi. This is an untouched and scenically beautiful area where you can get a real insight into the way of life of the Hadzabe Bushmen. This tribe hunts on wild animals with bow and arrows, eating roots, honey, and wild fruits. Visit their habitat and experience their culture first hand. You go with the Bushman on a game walk an participate in their real-life activities such as hunting. For a lot of people, these are some of the most valuable and memorable experiences of their safari. All meals and overnight will be at Eileen’s Trees Inn.

Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater

Today you set off towards the Ngorongoro Crater for a beautiful game drive. It shelters close to 30.000 animals including the Big Five. The crater teems with zebras, buffaloes, lions, wildebeest, warthogs, baboons, elephants, flamingos, ostriches, hippos, cheetahs, and a small population of the rare black rhino. The beautiful colors and dancing clouds make the crater almost surreal. Because of its natural beauty, the Ngorongoro Crater is chosen as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. In the late afternoon, you drive to Mbalageti Lodge in the western part of the Serengeti for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Serengeti National Park (west)

After breakfast, you depart on a full day game driving in the famous Serengeti. Depending on which time of the year you visit this park, you can move with the herds across the plains exploring the Great Migration. A great experience to see all those hoofed mammals, followed by iconic predators, migrate in a clockwise circle every year. Apart from the Great Migration, the Serengeti has a great all-year-round resident game. If you want to spot the Big Five – lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, and buffalo- all in one park, the Serengeti is also one of the best places to do so. Return in the late afternoon back to Mbalageti Lodge for dinner and overnight after an exciting safari day.

Day 6: Lake Victoria

Today you set off to Africa’s largest lake. Lake Victoria plays a vital role in the lives of millions of people who live on the shoreline of this huge lake. Explore this untouched area, when you pass through the small villages of the Sukuma tribe. This tribe grows cotton, groundnuts, sorghum, and cassava as well as keeping livestock. Life carries on here, simply as it was centuries ago. This journey offers you a unique insight into rural life in Tanzania. At the end of the afternoon, you drive to the Serenity Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Lake Victoria

In the early morning, you depart on a canoe fishing trip on Lake Victoria with local people. The waters are ideal for fishing. You can cast your line for the big Nile Perch or giant Tilapia. Lake Victoria has also a great variety of freshwater tropical fish, many of which are exported to aquariums all over the world. Its shores are peaceful and pristine and offer a quiet relaxing environment. After this fishing trip, you return to the lodge for breakfast and a little leisure on the lakeshore. Enjoy a village tour in the afternoon, where you meet a traditional doctor who learns you about African traditional healing.

Day 8: Lake Victoria

Rise up early morning for a fishing trip on Lake Victoria by boat. This is a different experience than by canoe since you can go further by boat, with higher changing of a good catch. Lake Victoria is not only a great place for fishing but also for birdwatching or visiting one of the many small untouched islands, like Rubondo where you can spot a diversity of big game, from elephants and giraffe to chimpanzees (optional). Spend the afternoon at leisure at the beautiful shores of the lake where the Serenity Lodge is located. Dinner and overnight are also at this lodge.

Day 9: Serengeti National Park (central)

After breakfast, you drive back to the Serengeti for a game drive in the central part of this national park. This area is famous for the abundance of lions and leopards that can usually be seen quite easily. Game viewing in this central area is spectacular all year round. Enjoy the views of endless plains and stunning wildlife like cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, ostrich, pangolin, and many more. Dinner and overnight will be at Eileen’s Trees Inn.